


you, me and the stars.

by hyunsikness



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Astronomy, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Love, Love Confessions, Love Stories, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Relationship(s), Self-Discovery, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:42:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29860350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyunsikness/pseuds/hyunsikness
Summary: Donghun is an astronomy enthusiast and Junhee is a human-looking boy that fell from the sky.--Multichapter version of the oneshot with the same name (story has been expanded)
Relationships: Lee Donghun/Park Junhee | Jun
Kudos: 8





	you, me and the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is just the first chapter of a multichapter version of my oneshot with the same name "You, me and the stars". i always thought i might be able to develop it a bit more, so im giving it a try! my writing got worse so... bear with me TT (the intro is pretty much the same though) anyways, hope you enjoy!! remember to stay hydrated and take breaks from reading on a screen <3 thanks for reading!!

Donghun loved looking at the sky. It was probably one of his few mundane pleasures, the only thing he found interesting anymore, his small dose of daily happiness when he arrived home every night. Staring at the stars was one of the few things that eased his heart in a world that didn’t stop (and wouldn’t stop) stressing him out, one of the only parts of his routine he didn’t absolutely despised.

Not that he didn’t like his life, he knew he was lucky and didn’t really have much to complain about. He had what every person of his age would want to have. A place he could call his home, a stable job, a healthy family. But looking at the sky made him dream and wonder and ask himself questions he would probably never be able to answer. It was equally fascinating and scary. It made him feel less lonely. He didn’t know why he found it so incredibly healing and therapeutic, but looking at all the little stars twinkling so far away from him soothed his heart like nothing else could.

He remembers how he felt when he looked through a telescope for the first time. He was ten years old and his uncle had bought one for himself. Ever since that day, Donghun would go visit him as often as possible, absolutely enchanted by the sight he had experienced the first time.

A few years later he was able to afford his very first telescope. He remembers how it felt when the shop assistant put it in his hands. It was cold and smooth and he felt a small tickle as his fingertips rubbed the polished, greyish surface. He remembers going to the terrace in his house that same day and waiting patiently until it was dark enough to look through it. He remembers how it felt. He remembers his parents calling him for diner as he wrote about the stars he had seen in his notebook. He had dozens of books full of information and notes he had made himself.

And just like his younger self, there he was, more than a decade later, with the same enthusiasm, in his own terrace and the same, not-so-nicely-polished telescope, his old companion, which he had grown next to. One of the few constants in his life. A soft smile on his face, the gentle wind messing up his hair and the steaming tea between his hands.

And then, something happened. Something startled him as he sipped from his cup. He placed his glasses properly and looked through the telescope.

“Well, that’s weird.” He whispered, getting up unconsciously.

Something bright was falling down from the sky right in front of him. It was happening fast, but he felt as if everything was happening in slow motion.

_ A shooting star? No, it can’t be. It’s too slow to be _ .

At some point, the object was so close Donghun didn’t even need to look through the telescope. He felt something in his chest, telling him to follow it. But follow it where? He didn’t know where it could possibly land. He couldn’t help but act rationally, but the child inside him still wanted to go after the celestial object.

He then heard the impact and took his coat after a few seconds of consideration. He went outside still in his stripped pyjamas and with a pair of shoes he had hastily put in place right before rushing past the door.

He followed the trail the celestial object had left on its way down, which lead him to a vacant lot not too far from his flat and approached the big smoke cloud carefully, both scared and amazed, adrenaline running through his veins and eyes as bright and sparkly as the sky he contemplated daily when he felt the oppressive heat wave that filled that space.

Donghun couldn’t see properly because of the smoke, he closed his eyes a bit and tried to cover part of his face with his arm as he moved forward. There was something bright shining behind the smoke but the young man wasn’t quite sure of what it could be.

_ A star? No way. It couldn't be a star.... Right? It couldn't be. But then... what was it? It came from up above. It came from the sky, damn it! I saw it. And it was so bright. _

He stopped and tried to dissipate the smoke with his hands, without much luck. He started coughing as he continued moving forward.

When the smoke had almost disappeared completely, Donghun looked at the bright figure in front of him. It was in a small crater, probably formed by the impact. Donghun dared to give a step forward and look closely. He squeezed his eyes closed, incredulous. He then opened his eyes again. It couldn't be. It looked like... a human. A human being in fetal position.

He had imagined all kinds of things as he ran there, pictured all kinds of possible scenarios, but reality had exceeded his expectations for the very first time in years. Donghun breathed heavily through his mouth, the cold weather entering his lungs and making his breath turn into a soft mist. There was a burnt essence in the air. It was quiet, the sound of the city seemed even farther than usual. The only thing that could be heard at that moment was Donghun's breath, and the young man could feel his heart bumping against his chest violently as he looked at that bright, manlike creature.

When he approached it, it felt warm. It was a comforting warmth, like the one coming from a campfire when you go camping. Donghun was then able to see it completely. A thin naked silhouette rested in front of him. It looked like a man. Eyes were closed and his sparkly, smooth-looking skin was covered by shiny freckles on his cheeks, nose and shoulders.

Donghun crouched down and tried to touch the creature, out of curiosity, but mostly to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. But the touch burnt the palm of his hand, so he took it back immediately, letting out a small moan. He massaged his palm carefully, but even though it burnt, the adrenaline was doing its effect, and his focus on what was in front of him turned the burning pain into small pinches. The creature opened its eyes as soon as it felt the touch against his burning skin and looked at Donghun with wide open, surprised eyes, steam coming from his shoulder, the place Donghun had touched seconds before. His eyes were jet black, his wavy, light hair rested over his eyes and his stare was the deepest Donghun had ever seen.

"What the..." It's all Donghun managed to say.

The creature moved a bit without taking his eyes off Donghun.

"What are you?" Donghun asked softly, not really asking the sparkly stranger but just trying to figure it out by himself. He had spent the more than half of his life studying and reading about space, but he had never heard or read about such a thing ever before.

There was a small silence.

"Junhee." The creature said, so softly his words could be erased by the wind. His voice felt gentle and shaky, Donghun almost didn't hear it. The fear in the creature’s eyes was clear and vivid.

"Jun... Junhee?" Donghun repeated, looking at him. Junhee looked back and just stood there, impassible.

The creature nodded slowly, hugging himself in an attempt to make himself as small as possible.

"So you can talk." Another small silence, as if the so called Junhee was processing tons of information before talking. In reality, he was just a bit scared of the human stranger.

A small silence, then a hesitant nod.

"You can understand me."

The creature nodded, his eyes exuding fear and confusion and his arms holding his own body tightly as a way of self-protection.

Donghun tried to approach the boy again, but Junhee moved away, still hunched over, almost as an impulse. He was a bit disorientated and even though he wanted to believe the human's genuine, gentle eyes didn't lie, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. He looked at what surrounded him, his irregular breathing showed how terrified he is.

“It's alright." Donghun said. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm here to help." Then Junhee’s skin stopped shining as brightly, letting Donghun see his features more clearly. Sharp, tough, yet somehow so fragile and delicate Donghun was scared he would break if he dared to touch him again. His eyes looked fierce and his body was small and thin and Donghun swore he looked as delicate as porcelain.

"I'm Donghun." He said, calmly, sitting in front of him. "Lee Donghun."

"Lee Donghun." The boy repeated, and Donghun doubted his name had sounded so sweet in somebody’s lips before.

"Yes." Junhee smiled calmly as he listened to the human’s voice and then sneezed out of nowhere.

Donghun didn't hesitate and took off his coat to put it over Junhee's fragile, warm body. Junhee looked at him in confusion and tried to get away at first, but let him proceed when he felt the warmth of the fabric against his skin. The naked boy held onto the coat for dear life as his breathing left small clouds of mist in the air, but still refused to let Donghun near him.

Donghun looked at him in the eye and approached him again to rub his arms in an attempt to make him warm up. The creature looked at him with thankful eyes and Donghun dedicated him a tender smile when he moved away. He then offered his hand. Junhee looked at it, then back at his eyes. His small, shivering hands were holding Donghun’s coat tightly.

“It’s getting colder, we should go.” Donghun said, almost in a whisper. “Come with me.”

Junhee looked at his hand again and tried to hold his coat with just one hand. Donghun observed as the other hand appeared from under the coat and approached his own slowly. His hand was warm and as soft and delicate as it looked.

Donghun’s hand was dry and cold but somehow comforting and Junhee held onto it slowly without saying a single word.

"Come with me." He said. Junhee looked around and got up using Donghun's strength. He felt all the dirt under his feet and it certainly wasn’t pleasant but he didn’t complain. "Can you walk?"

Junhee nodded softly and Donghun took his hand and guided him to his flat. He even offered Junhee his shoes as they walked as he had seen the struggle of the boy with sparkly freckles with every step they took. Junhee refused, a soft "I'm fine" leaving his mouth every single time, even if it hurt and it was cold and the soles of his feet felt numb. Junhee looked around with curiosity without letting go off Donghun's hand until they arrived to Donghun's house. Junhee stayed behind the door while Donghun turned on the lights. Donghun looks back at him.

"You can come in." Donghun said softly, holding out his hand again. Junhee did so.

Donghun let Junhee have a shower while he looked for some clothes that could fit his guest. Junhee just stood still in the shower, thoughts and water falling down the drainpipe. Questions, many questions in his head that he doubts the human would be able to answer. He looked like a good person, but being a good person didn’t mean he would know all the answers.

Junhee got out of the shower only when Donghun entered the bathroom to ask him if he was finished. Donghun gave him a towel and helped him dry his hair. Once again, Junhee just stood there and looked at the human under his wet hair, slowly getting familiar with his soft, round, comforting features. The human then handed Junhee a bunch of clothes. Junhee looked at them, then at Donghun, with tired, droopy eyes.

"They're for you." Junhee looked down again, to the clothes he was holding, and took them in a soft grip, slowly. Donghun let go off them slowly. "It's really cold tonight, these will keep you warm." Junhee rubbed the brownish fabric with his fingers, it felt soft and warm against his fingertips. He held them closer to his body. Donghun smiled sweetly and Junhee nodded, still confused, dozens of questions floating in his head. The human left him alone and the star boy looked at his reflection in the mirror. He had a body now and he couldn’t tell if he liked that or not. He touched his face unconsciously and ran his fingers through his hair. Everything felt so weird. He caressed the skin on his forearm. He could feel it. He could feel everything.

Junhee brought the clothes closer to his face. The smell was soft and sweet. He didn’t know what it smelled like but he was sure he liked how it felt. He closed his eyes, the fabric tickling his nose and cheeks and the essence filling his nostrils.

Junhee’s eyes were lost and his freckles had lost part of their brightness when Donghun sat next to him, in the kitchen table.

"Are you okay?" Junhee looked up, he kept playing with his hands as a way to cope with his unexplainable nervousness.

No response.

“Do you know what happened to you?”

“I… fell.”

“Do you know why?”

The boy looked at him with lost eyes.

"Where are we?" He asked, ignoring the question he had no answer to. Why had he fallen? He would also like to know. Being conscious and with a body felt weird.

"Where...? as in...?"

"What planet are we in?"

"Oh. Well... we're on planet Earth." Donghun said, hoping that would be enough for him to understand.

Junhee scratched the skin behind his ear, his eyes suddenly calm.

"Okay." He looked at the floor again, and Donghun had so many questions, but wasn't sure that was the right moment to ask them.

"Are you tired? It's quite late. Maybe you should rest," Donghun said, a bit worried about the boy’s apparent apathy.

Junhee looked behind Donghun, a small, cozy terrace could be seen behind the glass door. There was something there, in front of the door. Donghun followed Junhee's eyes when he realised he was looking behind him.

"What is that thing over there?" Junhee asked. He sounded more focused and lively, as if his own curiosity had cheered him up.

"Oh, that? It's my telescope."

"Telescope," Junhee repeated awkwardly.

"Yes," Donghun said, refraining from telling Junhee all about it.

There was a short silence, in which Donghun wondered if he should try to explain further.

"I like looking at the sky, and this helps me see it better."

"Ahh..."

Donghun smiled.

"You must have seen more than I have though, haven't you?"

"Have I?"

"I mean..." Donghun tried to rephrase it. "You come from up there." He said, pointing at the ceiling.

"I do..." Junhee nodded slowly, his eyes slowly recovering part of the light Donghun had seen in them when their gazes first met.

"You must have seen the universe."

"I… have seen part of it, yeah."

"That's amazing." Donghun said, with the usual calm tone Junhee was already used to. But there was a notable excitement in his raspy voice, Junhee found it particularly amusing.

"Is it?" Junhee asked, not really understanding why the human seemed so amazed.

"Is it not?"

Junhee looked through the window.

"It's beautiful, but its greatness can be kinda scary."

Donghun nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, i figure." Donghun murmured in understanding, leaning on the palm of his hand, but he regretted it instantly. It still hurt because of its contact with Junhee's skin. Junhee looked at the red palm with worried eyes.

"Did I do that?" He asked, still impassive and calm but a subtle bit of concern present in his voice. His eyes went from Donghun to his hand repeatedly.

"Don't worry. I did this to myself." He smiled sweetly. "And it's not as bad as it looks."

There was a small silence.

"Are you… sure?" He asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Donghun got up and took some bandages from one of the white cupboards in the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" He said once he was done placing the bandages.

"What?"

"Do you want to eat?"

Junhee shrugged.

"Do you even need to eat?" Donghun asked in confusion, placing his hands on his hips.

"To be honest... I'm as lost as you are. It's my first time having a… body like this one.” He looked at him. “But either way… I don't want anything, I'm okay." That's what he said, but when Donghun sat next to him with the steaming plate, he would steal glances, making the human smile and chuckle.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Donghun asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Junhee said calmly.

Donghun, however, had proceeded to do enough quantity for the both of them, just in case. If that was Junhee’s first time having an actual human body, he assumed he did not know food as humans did. He wouldn’t know if he wanted some until it was placed right in front of him.

And so, when he was done, he sat next to Junhee, in the small kitchen isle. The star boy observed the plate, with sparkling curiosity behind his apathetic eyes.

“Do you want to try?”

Junhee hesitated.

“No, it’s yours,” he said timidly. 

“There’s enough for the both of us.” Donghun said, smiling, placing some chopsticks in front of the boy. “Here.” Junhee looked at it, then at him, at his welcoming silhouette, at his messy hair, the glasses resting over his round nose. 

“I’ll have just a tiny bit.”

The star boy took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up, the stars on his cheeks pouring their light over the plate, table and Donghun’s astonished glare.

“ _ Whafs _ this  _ callef _ ?” The star boy asked with a full mouth.

“Uhm, it’s just ramen,” Donghun said. 

Precooked, and not even the good brand, he thought. But Junhee kept eating by his side with the most enchanted look on his eyes. As if he had just tasted the most delicious food on earth, or even the universe.

“Tasting… feels weird,” he said quietly as he prepared to take another mouthful. “But I get why humans do it. Feels nice.”

Donghun was not someone who put that much effort into cooking anyways. He lived alone and knew the bases, but had never tried to cook anything out of the ordinary. Just enough to sustain himself and be able to keep going. He preferred to spend his time reading or doing research. The kitchen countertop was usually partly filled with takeout boxes. 

But at that very moment, he felt like he couldn’t just let Junhee think that instant noodles were the most delicious thing on earth. He wanted to show him more, to help him explore and get to know other foods that may make him glow even brighter.

When they were both finished, Donghun washed the dishes and went into his room only to come out with a big pile of graph paper sheets of all kinds, putting them on the living room table. 

“You can move around or go to sleep if you want,” he said to Junhee pointing at his room. “It’s quite late, but I’m going to be working for a bit.”

Junhee moved from the chair next to the kitchen countertop to the couch, slowly, unsurely.

Taking homework home was one of the things Donghun loved the most. He got to actually get to know their students a bit better, the way they wrote and expressed themselves, especially at such a young age, his students had no filter when it came to asking the most bizarre questions, and it was no different when it came to written work. He had been working as a teacher for a couple of years, he was able to get hired fairly early after he himself was finished studying, so he had that enthusiasm and freshness that was so unique to new teachers.

Donghun took a seat at the living room table and looked over at Junhee, who remained sat on the couch, with his hands on his lap and a straight back. Everything felt so weird and foreign, even the human’s presence could not dissipate his worries and anguish.

“It’ll take me a while,” Donghun said softly, taking the chair next to him. His glasses were barely holding onto the tip of his nose. “You can sit here if you want.”

Junhee did not answer, he just stood there in silence, looking at the sky through the window, observing the sea of stars he was once a part of. Donghun kept looking out of the corner of his eye every few minutes, completely forgetting the activities he was supposed to grade for the following day. The glowing human-like creature was always there, trying to make himself as small as possible in the middle-sized living room. Despite the weirdness of it all, Donghun felt warm and calm in the company of the star boy.

There were questions at the back of his head, though. What he should do about him? Could he help him go back to the sky? Was all that even real or just a strangely realistic dream? These questions stack up in his head, like piling up books vertically at the feet of an already full bookshelf, as his chalk-stained hands rested on the graph papers. 

He sighed and looked at the boy one last time before fully letting himself be absorbed by his students’ homework. 

He woke up in the middle of the night, a paper stuck to his forehead as he raised his head to see the time. The lights were off, but Donghun could see most of the living room clearly if he squinted enough. Junhee was laying on the couch, holding himself softly. He was asleep, Donghun suspected, and the glow coming from his cheeks was filling the room, the light tilting in compass with his breathing. 

For a moment, Donghun was unable to take his eyes off him, of the comfortable warmth on his hands, the table, his chest, as he let himself be swallowed by Junhee’s light. After a few minutes, he got up from his chair and walked to the couch, crashing against most of the furniture that was on his way even though he should already know the layout of his own apartment by heart. 

There was a blue blanket, poorly folded, resting on the back of the sofa. Donghun took it and carefully placed it over Junhee, making sure it was covering everything, from his feet to his neck. Junhee’s features seemed so relaxed, his long eyelashes resting gently on his cheeks, the stars on his face like fireflies playing under his skin.

“What am I going to do with you?” He whispered to himself, rubbing the nape of his neck nervously.

He went back to his chair. He could have just gone to bed, but he didn’t want to leave the boy alone. He sat back and stretched a little, then leaned his head on his good hand and closed his eyes.

* * *

Junhee was woken up by the sound of Donghun’s coffee machine. It was a quite annoying sound, he already despised it, but the smell was nice. His eyes were half-closed, the light in the room was strong. He turned his back on the sofa, the warm morning sunlight reaching him through the big glass terrace doors, making his freckles tingle a bit. He touched his face gently, his fingertips caressing his stars with utmost care, and got rid of the blanket that was covering him. Weird. He didn’t remember putting it on. But he also didn’t remember much of what had happened before falling asleep. He wondered if that was a common thing amongst humans.

The star boy followed the smell to the kitchen, finding a very tired Donghun, who was fighting sleepiness as he poured himself some coffee in a weirdly shaped mug. One of his students had made it for him on teacher’s day. He had been sick that day and was unable to attend, but came back the following week to a wide range of handmade drawings and crafts wishing him a soon recovery. He almost teared up right there.

Donghun looked up to check on Junhee, dropping some of the burning coffee on his already bandaged hand. Junhee observed as his closed mouth tried his best to retain a scream.

“Good morning,” he groaned, with clear pain in an unusual high pitched voice. Then he entered his room, only to come out with a gabardine and a briefcase. “How did you sleep?” He said rushedly, as he swallowed the last bit of his second coffee.

Junhee followed him closely, like a baby duck always staying behind his mother, as the teacher got ready to get out of the house. The star boy looked at Donghun as the human put on his gabardine.

“Are we going somewhere?”

“I am,” Donghun answered softly. “I have to go to work. You’ll have to wait for me here.”

The star boy didn’t seem too happy about it.

“Can’t I just go with you?” He asked nervously. He didn’t want to be alone.

“You can keep me company on my way to school, but I don’t think I can just let you enter. Would you be able to find your way back after?”

Junhee hesitated. He had barely gotten slightly used to the apartment. He wasn’t in the mood for unkwown environments.

“I won’t be long,” Donghun explained. “You can stay here and watch TV, or… Read a book.”

_ Can he even read? I mean, he can speak perfectly. But that was a more innately human thing than writing and reading. _

Junhee just looked at the human, eyes filled with uneasiness and his teeth bitting off the inside of his cheek.

“Can you even read?” Donghun asked softly, suddenly completely lost, more to himself than to the star boy.

Junhee didn’t answer. Could he? The human had made so many questions he didn’t have the answer to. He hated that. From that very instant, Junhee decided that hated unanswerable questions.

“There’s plenty of books in my room,” Donghun said, rushing to the living room. He was back a few seconds later, with the TV remote control in his hands. “I’m sorry, I will try to figure everything out soon, okay? You are safe here.”

“Hm,” Junhee murmured as the human handed him the long piece full of buttons. “Okay.”

When Donghun left the house, Junhee let himself fall on the couch again and laid down, looking at the cracks on the white ceiling. Having a conscience was weird. Having a voice was weird. Experiencing feelings the way he had been since he fell was weird. Unsettling. He felt lost and worried and weirdly indifferent. He wasn’t even meant to be there, so what was he going to do? What was he supposed to do with all the new things he didn’t know how to control. 

The feeling of emptiness felt like a lump in his throat and the heat of the stars on his cheeks felt suffocating, he could feel his skin burning. He held his body again, trying to make himself as small as possible. The previous night he had learnt that dreaming would make those feelings go away. He closed his eyes and hoped it would work again.

It didn’t. He could feel and perceive himself the whole time. He didn’t want that. He wanted that state of nothingness that sleep had provided him. That was the closest to feeling like a star again. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and started pressing the buttons of the remote control randomly until the television started working. Some people talking over a really tacky background. He wasn’t interested, but it was better than silence.

“Humans talk too much for their own good,” he whispered against the sleeve of his sweater, with his eyes closed. It was warm and big, covering almost up until his knees, and it had a smell that Junhee quite liked. He put the end of the sleeve under his nose and breathed deeply. It smelled like ramen then. Totally different, not what he was hoping for. He sighed. 

No good thing humans had seemed to last long. What was so great about being human? 

When Donghun came home, Junhee was still on the couch, immobile.

“I’m back!” He said with a gentle smile on his face. Junhee could feel the joy pouring out of him even without looking at him. 

The human walked to the living room, seeing Junhee there, with his face buried under his arms.

“Are you asleep?” He asked softly.

There was a small silence, in which Junhee debated whether or not he wanted to deal with the human at that given time. 

He did not. He felt weird, his chest felt weird. It hurt, somehow. His eyes stinged and his throat felt obstructed.

The star boy did not answer.

“Ah… You must be tired,” he said, leaving the room as quietly as possible. He came back seconds later, with a blanket in his hands. He placed it carefully on Junhee’s body, making sure his feet fitted inside.

The human’s mind then started to divert, wondering whether he would be able to help Junhee the way he needed to be helped. He could do no more than offering him a place to stay and warm food to come back to when he felt like eating.

He wanted to help but he did not really know why. He himself wasn’t the best at dealing with people that weren’t his kids. Adults were complicated and draining, and Junhee definitely was one. One with more knowledge than he would ever be able to comprehend.

The teacher’s eyes settled on the star boy once more, with the saddest look behind them. He turned back to take a look at the tacky kitchen clock. It was still too early, so he took a book from his shelf and, as quietly as possible, sat down next to a seemingly asleep Junhee. He crossed his slim legs and proceeded to pass the pages he already knew pretty much by heart.

Weirdly enough, Junhee’s chest seemed to calm down with Donghun’s presence. He still did not feel like talking to him, but the gentle passing of the pages and the human’s calm breathing and overall tranquility felt overwhelmingly reassuring. The pressuring thoughts were leaving his mind slowly, leaving room to calmer, more soothing ones. He wanted to get to know Donghun. He wanted to understand him, he wanted to understand humans. So he could maybe understand his new self.

Before he could even begin to realise, the star boy dozed for a few minutes. When he woke up, feeling droopy and confused, he could still feel the human behind him. He stretched his socked feet, soon feeling the worn out fabric of Donghun’s jeans.

“You’re awake?” The human asked, gently placing the red string between the pages.

Junhee sat up and nodded sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. When he was able to finally look at Donghun, the human was containing a smile, one of those in which his eyes started turning into waning moons and his teeth would show clearly.

“What?”

Donghun chuckled softly and slowly reached for Junhee’s hair.

“Your hair is a mess,” he said as he fixed it as much as he could without a comb.

Junhee let him be, too sleepy to even wish for any kind of confrontation. But the warmth of the human’s hand felt too comforting to let it go, so his head instinctively followed it when the human moved away. Donghun noticed and put his hand back on the boy’s hair, letting him rest his head on his shoulder

“You read a lot,” Junhee affirmed, looking at the thin gold lines that decorated the spine of the book that laid on the human’s lap.

“Well, I like it, and it is a big part of my job,” Donghun said slowly.

“What’s your job?”

“Oh. I’m a primary school teacher,” Donghun said lowly, adjusting his glasses with his middle finger. “It’s the reason I had to leave you alone before.”

“So… you teach, little humans?” 

_ So he knows that,  _ thought Donghun. He wondered to which extent his new innate human knowledge could reach. 

“That’s precisely it!” Donghun said enthusiastically.

“Ah…” Junhee said, more as a thought out loud than as an answer for the human. “I’ve never seen one.”

Donghun chuckled.

“I see dozens of them almost every day. They are a delight.”

“Hm,” Junhee murmured.

“You do that a lot.”

“What?”

“ _ Hm _ .”

“Oh, it helps to fill the silences,” he answered in a low voice. He didn’t like the silences.

Junhee didn’t notice, but he had started crying. When the human turned back to see him, he noticed the tears running down his face.

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked worryingly. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Junhee asked in a whisper. Donghun put a hand on Junhee’s chest and rubbed it gently. The star boy’s chest felt lighter for a few moments

It was at that moment that he felt the tears, the wet traces along his face. He rubbed both of his eyes slowly, as if in trance, with an indifferent face.

“What?” He said, a little trembling in his voice. “What is this?”

“You’re crying,” Donghun explained to him. “That usually happens when you do not feel well. Is there something worrying you?”

Junhee sniffed softly.

“I guess so,” the star boy looked down at his hands. “Why am I crying, though? I do not want to.”

“It just comes out. Most of the time you can’t stop it.”

“That’s no good.”

“It will help you feel better.” Donghun guessed, getting up from the couch. “Let it be. I’ll prepare us something to eat.”

Junhee looked at his wet hands, then at the human at the other side of the countertop. He clumsily followed him to the kitchen.

“You will be fine.” The human said softly.

“This doesn’t feel good,” he whined. “It’s uncomfortable.”

“It’s normal,” Donghun reassured him, taking out some ingredients. “I promise it will feel better after,” he repeated. 

Junhee sniffed again and sat down as he rubbed his chest for comfort, trying to ease the pressure and pain inside it, just like Donghun had done moments before.

“Okay,” Junhee said softly.

Donghun could only guess what exactly was worrying the star boy. 

“Would you want some of the stuff you tried yesterday?” Donghun asked, figuring out that it would be good if he prepared something he already knew and liked.

“Is there more?” Junhee said looking up at him, suddenly hopeful that he had something good that he could look forward too. “It was… quite delicious.”

“Oh, there’s plenty,” Donghun said. “I eat unhealthy amounts of it. Take a seat, it will only take me a few minutes!” He added enthusiastically, with a subtle trembling in his voice. 

Junhee looked confused. Minutes?

“It won’t take long,” he corrected himself, immediately understanding his mistake. Time was a human thing.

Junhee obeyed and took a seat.

“Do humans cry often?” Junhee asked, confused.

“Sometimes. Some more than others, really. Some people cry for anything, some people don’t cry no matter what, some people just cry sometimes.”

“Hm,” Junhee murmured. “Being human isn’t nice.”

Donghun looked back at him.

“Well, I guess it’s not that great at times,” Donghun said kindly. “But there are other times in which being alive can be the greatest thing.

Junhee wasn’t fully listening, he looked down at the countertop and laid there for a bit, sniffling from time to time. Donghun let the water start boiling as he handed Junhee some tissues.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Donghun asked softly, leaning in front of him.

“About what?” Junhee asked in confusion.

“Your worries,” Donghun clarified without looking at him, pushing his fogged glasses up.

“I don’t think I can explain it,” Junhee shrugged. “Being a human is overwhelming. It's… too complicated.”

Donghun nodded.

“I guess you’re right,” he said, looking at him, the freckles on his cheeks seemed to glow a bit less than when he first saw him. There was light that seemed to come from under the star boy’s skin. “I’m sure you will get the hang of it, though. I will help you.”

“Okay,” the star boy answered, shrugging. He wiped the remains of his tears from his face and closed his eyes. He could only hear the sound of the boiling water in the background. “That’s noisy,” He said to Donghun, who was too distracted trying to decipher Junhee to even realise.

“Oh!” He said, getting up from the counter, but not without messing with Junhee’s hair a bit first. “Don’t fall asleep. It’ll be done soon.”

Junhee nodded and patiently observed the human as he finished cooking. The sizzling inside the saucepan, the smell, the sight of the human’s back as he stirred clumsily. It was not bad, Junhee thought.

That time, Donghun placed two bowls on the table and handed Junhee a set of chopsticks.

“For you,” Donghun said.

Junhee looked down, taking everything in. It looked delicious, perhaps even more than the previous day.

“Thank you,” said Junhee, taking the chopsticks slowly. Donghun observed as Junhee stuffed his mouth with food, he looked slightly more content.

When they finished, Donghun got up to wash his bowl, and Junhee imitated him.

“Give me, I’ll do it,” Donghun said, sponge in hand. Junhee obeyed and observed as the human cleaned the mess. When he was finished, he washed his hands, and splashed some of the drops on Junhee’s face, who just opened his eyes widely in confusion. Donghun chuckled and immediately started wiping them out of Junhee’s face with his sweater sleeves. As he was doing so, Junhee opened the tap again just to splash Donghun back.

Donghun did not expect a counterattack, and his surprised face made Junhee laugh for the very first time. Donghun observed with endearment as the wrinkles started forming around the boy’s eyes and nose, his sharp canines showing.

Laughing felt good, Junhee thought. It was pleasant.

“Pf,” Donghun said, messing up with his hair again. “Well played.”

That same evening, Donghun disappeared inside his room for a few minutes, only to come back out with a long coat, that he then handed Junhee. Junhee took it hesitantly and looked at Donghun, waiting for an explanation.

“We’re going out for a bit,” Donghun said.

“We?” Junhee asked.

“On a walk,” He added. “It might be good for you to know the surroundings.”

Despite the laughs, Junhee had been so serious and quiet the whole day, only adding to the sudden crying and the way his freckles’ light seemed to be so dim and slowly fading no matter how much he seemed to have enjoyed eating, and Donghun didn’t know what to do to help him other than try what usually worked for him. A small walk through the neighbourhood. The strong wind on his hair, slightly cold cheeks and the sounds of the city usually made him feel a bit better, so maybe it would work on Junhee as well.

“I don’t like it outside, it’s too noisy,” Junhee asked.

“Just for a bit,” Donghun suggested, hands on his pockets. “It’s usually quiet at this time.”

Junhee felt like he couldn’t say no, but he was also curious about how things were outside. He had only been able to see a little bit the previous night and he had been too scared to even look around that much.

“Okay,” he said in a low voice. 

The human handed him a long, brown jacket and some shoes.

“See if they fit you,” Donghun said softly.

Junhee sat down and got dressed. Donghun taught him how to tie his shoes. He was feeling a bit uneasy, uncertain. What would be of him from then on? Would he just have to stay with the human and follow him wherever he wants to go?

Despite the strong wind, it was quite nice outside. He had to hold onto Donghun’s arm minutes after getting out of the house.

“I don’t want to get blown away,” Junhee said shyly.

Donghun laughed gently.

“That won’t happen, don’t worry,” Donghun reassured him, but he brought Junhee closer, an arm around his shoulders. “Although, if the wind was strong enough, maybe you could fly back to the sky, where you belong.”

Junhee looked up.

“Where I belong…” He repeated, curiously. There was a certain sadness in his voice, with the uncertainty and uneasiness very much present in his chest. “Maybe I don’t belong anymore. Since I’m here.”

“I’m joking,” Donghun said just in case. “You can belong anywhere. As long as it feels like home.”

“What does  _ home _ feel like?” Junhee wondered.

That was a good question.

“Hm,” Donghun hesitated. “It feels familiar, warm. Safe. Like nothing can happen to you while you’re there.”

“Ah,” Junhee thought he understood. “Like… your house?” Junhee wondered. Donghun’s house was the only place he could think of.

“Yeah, like my house.” Donghun nodded. “It doesn’t have to be a place, though. It can be a person.”

“A person,” Junhee repeated in wonder.

“Yeah, home can be anywhere, wherever your family, friends or loved ones are.”

“Hm,” Junhee whispered. “I… don’t have any of that.”

“You do have a friend though,” Donghun said sweetly.

“I do?” Junhee asked in surprise.

“Yeah, you do,” Donghun awkwardly pointed at himself with both hands. 

“Hm,” Junhee murmured again, suddenly a bit overwhelmed. Everything seemed so difficult as a human. Feelings were complicated and everything seemed to provoke a certain reaction in him, which was quite tiring.

Everything felt a certain way, and trying to exist like that, Junhee was finding it extremely difficult.

“I might not be the best company, but… I will try my best.”

Junhee didn’t say anything, he just held onto the human tightly. The star boy felt like he wanted to thank him. But he was not sure what he would be thanking him for. He just felt an urge to do so. He was not sure if that was just another human quality.

The human was trembling a bit, trying to hide his face behind the neck of his jacket. He was pressing his hands inside his pockets, trying to prevent them from freezing. Junhee looked at him for a bit and let go, receiving one of Donghun’s confused stares. The star boy took the human’s face in between his hands. They were the perfect temperature, warm enough to make Donghun’s trembling way less noticeable. Junhee then took the human’s hands in his.

Donghun just stared at the boy, wondering if all of that was just being a very long dream. But how could it be, when it felt so real. When he could feel his heart bumping against his chest, the boy’s hands against his.

“We should go back to your house. You’re cold,” Junhee said with a certain indifference, like he himself couldn’t really feel the coldness.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Did you have a conscience?” Donghun asked. “When you, when you were a star.”

Junhee looked up. The wind up there, in the terrace, was then softer but colder. The star boy didn’t get why Donghun would rather be outside, since he seemed to be more sensitive to the cold that he was.

“I guess I did. But it felt different from now. I cannot remember much of it. I just existed somewhere out there. And I guess back then it was enough? I didn’t need anything else besides existing. It was just what I had to do.”

Donghun nodded.

“I see,” he said, softly, more to himself than to Junhee.

“What about you?” Junhee asked.

“Hm?” Donghun hummed, looking at him.

“Do you do this every day?” 

“Well, with some small differences here and there but… yeah, pretty much. It’s been the same for about… Three, four years?” 

Junhee looked at him in confusion.

“A year is three hundred and sixty five days,” Donghun explained, hoping that would make it better. “Usually, anyway. Every four years, we add one more day.”

“Hm,” Junhee murmured, looking at the human funnily. 

“What?”

“Nothing…” He whispered. Humans had a weird way to measure the earth’s rotation and revolution. “Why keep repeating the same thing over and over, though? What is the point?”

“Hm, well, I guess it’s different for everyone but, for me… There’s so much I still don’t know… So much knowledge that we still don’t possess… And I’d love to be around by the time people start writing books about it,” Donghun said, his smile disappearing behind the mug as he gave a small sip. By the time the mug returned to his lap, in between his hands, Junhee could still distinguish the corners of Donghun’s eyes tilting up in the dark. They looked like waning moons, it’s all Junhee could think of. He had never thought a human could ever resemble the bigger, majestic bodies of the universe. And yet, there he was.

“Is that it?” He said, intrigued. “You just… want to read?”

“It is not much, but I don’t think I need some big goal or plan on the horizon to be able to live. I have never had one, really.” Donghun started saying in a raspy, quiet voice. “The little things make me want to keep going. Seeing my students get better and grow both intellectually and personally. Being part of that growth and being able to witness them become good people. Coming back and taking a look at their homework, their thoughts. Having a drink I like, stargazing, meeting new people… Those are all little things that just… make me incredibly happy, as mundane as they may appear.”

Junhee leaned back and looked at him, with a slight, confused frown over his starry eyes. Donghun looked at him and chuckled.

“Humans are weird,” Junhee murmured.

“I guess we are,” Donghun answered funnily, with a smile on his face. “That’s part of our charm though, don’t you think?”

Junhee raised an eyebrow as Donghun took another sip.

“What charm?”

The teacher chuckled. Junhee looked down, at the terrace floor. He felt nice. The warm feeling inside him and in his hands, as he held the tacky mug, the bitterness of whatever brew the human had put inside it, the soft night breeze on his cheeks, on his hair, on his nose. The warmth of the blanket the human had placed carefully on his lap, despite the fact that Junhee could barely feel the coldness, at least in a way that resulted unpleasant. The softness of the clothes the human had lent him on his skin. Said weird human sitting next to him, with his wavy hair resting over his eyes, his round glasses barely resting on the tip of his nose, his lips barely open. With his eyes fixated on the sky and an expression on his face Junhee could not even begin to comprehend. He could get used to it, he thought. Maybe he could just let it be. Maybe it was meant to be, maybe it had to happen.

Maybe it was just a coincidence. He didn’t know. But he guessed that letting himself enjoy that little thing couldn’t do any harm. And so, he laid back and enjoyed the view, his vision reaching farther than Donghun would ever imagine.


End file.
